Control-valve for refrigerating apparatus



G. L. E. KOTHNY.

CONTROL VALVE FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Patented (11111522, 1920.

Ex/musn/va 5f%;7%f-fm F APPARATUS SUPPL Y- i 6 HIS ATTORNEY IN FACT G. L. E. KOTHNY.

CONTROL VALVE FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICA'IION FILED MAR. 30,1915.

Patented J um 22, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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d dl w/z 45,6 Aka HIS ATTORNEY IN FACT UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GOTTDANK I1. E. KOTHNY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WEST- INGHOUSE ELECTRIC 86 MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVAN IA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 22, 1920.

Application filed March 30, 1915. Serial No. 17,996.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GOTTDANK .L. E. KOTHNY, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Control-Valves for Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valve operating mechanism and more particularly to operating mechanism for the valve controlling the delivery of steam or motive fluid to the air' or fluid exhausting apparatus of a refrigerating machine.

In some types of refrigerating machines the air, non-condensable fluids and vapors are withdrawn from the'evaporating chamber by means of an ejector which is operated by steam or other condensable motive fluid and which exhausts or discharges into a condenser. With such an arrangement of apparatus it is essential to have the vacuum established in the condenser prior to delivering motive fluid to the ejector, or the motive fluid delivered to the ejector will enter and heat up the evaporating chamber- An object of this invention is therefore to provide a valve operating mechanism in which simple and effective means are employed for preventing the opening of the valve which controls the delivery of motive fluid to the exhausting or ejecting apparatus, prior to establishing a vacuum in the condenser into which the exhausting or ejecting apparatus exhausts.

A further object is to produce an operating mechanism for the motive fluid delivery valve of the exhausting or ejecting apparatus, in which means are'employed for closing the valve when the pressure in the condenser rises, or in other words, when the condenser drops its vacuum.

These and other objects are attained by means of the valve controlling mechanism herein described and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming 'a part hereof.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating an embodiment of my invention as applied to the delivery valve of an ejector or fluid exhausting apparatus employed in connection with the evaporating chamber of a refrigerating machme.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental sectional view along the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 and illustrates, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Certain portions of the apparatus are shown located in different positions from the'positions illustrated in Fi 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 with the parts located in different positions.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention includes a valve 4, which is adapted to control the delivery of motive fluid to an e ector or other exhaustingapparatus operating in connection with a refrigerating machine for the purpose of withdrawing the air, vapor or non-condensable fluids from the evaporating chamber of the machine. As illustrated, the casing of the valve is provided with an inlet port 5, which is adapted to communicate with a source of supply of motive fluid, such for example as steam, and the casing is also provided with a delivery port 6, through which the motive fluid or steam is delivered to the ejector or the exhausting apparatus. Any suitable means, such for example as a coiled spring 7 may be employed for holding the valve closed and any suitable means may be employed for adjusting the intensity of the closing force exerted on the valve.

In practice it is sometimes desirable to employ a steam operated ejector" as the exhausting apparatus for the evaporating chamber. When this is done a condenser is employed for receiving the fluid or fluids discharged from the ejector. It is not only desirable but from a practical standpoint it is essential to have the vacuum well established in the condenser prior to delivering motive fluid to the ejector, since if the ejector has to discharge against back pressure and particularly back pressure higher than the pressure existing in the evaporating chamber with which it communicates, the motive fluid delivered to the ejector will enter the evaporating chamber. For this reason some means should be employed for preventing the opening, of the motive fluid delivery valve prior to establishing the vacuum within the condenser. My present invention contemplates a valve operating mechanism for the delivery valve 4, which is incapable of opening the valve 4, unless the vacuum in the condenser is well established, and which will close as soon as the pressure in the condenser rises to a determined pressure.

As illustrated, the valve operating mechanism includes a lever 8, pivotally mounted on a shaft 9, supported by extensions 10, which are mounted on the casing of the valve 4. A valve operating finger 12 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 9, so that it is capable of turning freely about the shaft. This finger is formed integrally with a hub 13. which surrounds the shaft and which is provided in its peripheral face with a tooth or ratchet 14. A ratchet engaging pawl 15 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 16, carried by a lever 8, and is adapted to drop by gravity into engagement with the ratchet 14 of the finger 12. Vhen the pawl engages the ratchet 14, the lever 8 is capable'of moving the finger 12 so as to open the valve 4 in opposition to the spring 7.

In order to prevent the lever 8 from being operatively connected to the finger 12 prior to the time that the;vacuum is established within the condenser, I have provided a pressure actuated device 18, which is responsive to the pressure within the 'condenser and is adapted to hold the pawl 15 out of engagement with the ratchet 14 until after vacuum has been well established within the condenser.

As illustrated, the device 18 comprises a pressure chamber 19 adapted to communicate with a condenser 35, through a port 20, and closed-at one end by means of a pressure responsive diaphragm 21, through which, or on. which, a plunger22 is mounted. The inner face of the diaphragm is therefore exposed to the pressure within the chamber 19, or to condenser pressure, while the outer face is exposed to atmospheric pressure which normally tends to press the diaphragm inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2, in opposition to the combined fluid pressure within the chamber and the pressure of a coiled spring 23. As illustrated, one end of thesprin'g 23 bears against a plate 24, contacting with the diaphragm, while the other end seats on a spring block 25, threaded on its external face and screwed into the casing inclosing the chamber 9. \Vith this arrangement, the tension of the spring 23 may be easily adjusted by varying the position of the spring block. The diaphragmactuated plunger 22 is adapted to engage a trip finger 26, which is shown as integrally formed with the pawl 15 and which with the pawl forms a trip mechanism for releasing the ratchet 14, and thereby disengaging the finger12 from the lever 8.

In the drawings I have shown the pressure actuated device 18, mounted on the extensions 10, and the relative positioning of the parts is such that the plunger 22 will ingly located lug 30 of the plunger 22, and to project into the path of travel of the finger 26, and will hold the pawl 15 out of engagement with the ratchet 14, when the pressure in the chamber 19 and in the communicating condenser is above a determined or desired pressure. With this arrangement the lever 8 is rendered incapable of opening the valve 4 until the desired pressure or vacuum is established within the condenser. When this occurs, the atmospheric pressure on the exterior face of the diaphragm 21 will depress the diaphragm and move the plunger 22 out of the path of travel of the finger 26, so that the finger 12 may be operatively connected to the lever through the agency of the pawl and ratchet.

For the purpose of holding the valve 4 open in opposition to the pressure of the spring 7 without continuing the opening force on the lever 8, I have provided latch 5 arms 29, which are shown in Fig. 3 as integrally formed with the valve operating finger 12. These arms 29 are so arranged that they engage laterally extending lugs or stops 30 formed on the'plunger 22, when the finger 12 is moved to the valve opening position, and the diaphragm 21 is depressed by reason of the desired reduction of pressure within the chamber 19.

As illustrated, each arm 29 is provided with a lateral projection or latch 31 which, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is provided with an inclined face 32, adapted to engage an oppositely inclined faceon the correspondlift the plunger so that it passes under the stop as the valve engaging finger is moved to the valve opening position. With this arrangement, an opening movement of the valve actuating finger 12 momentarily raises the plunger 22, so that the two latches 31 of the latch arms 29 will move under the lugs 30. After the latches have passed the lugs 30, the plunger 22 retracts in response to the atmospheric pressure on'the diaphragm 21, and the lugs 30 will then form stops which engage the latches 31 and will thereby hold the valve 4 open in opposition to the pressure of the spring 7. If

the pressure in the chamber 19 rises due to a loss of vacuum in the condenser, the plunger 22 will lift and will release the latch arms by moving the lugs 30 out of engagement with the latches 31. This will permit the valve 4 to close in reponse to the pressure of the spring 7 and the rising plunger will also engage the trip mechanism and break the operative connection between the finger 12 and the lever 8.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have illustrated and described what I now believe to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, but- I desire to have it understood that the invention may be employed with apparatus other than refrigerating 1. In combination, a receptacle, a valve for controlling the delivery of fluid to the receptacle, a valve operating mechanism comprising means for opening said valve, and pressure actuated means responsive to a building up of pressure in the receptacle for" rendering the said opening means incapable of opening the valve.

2. In combination with a fluid delivery. valve, a valve operating'mechanism comprising means for opening said valve, and pressure responsive means for rendering said valve 0 emng means incapable of opening said va ve and for closing said valve independently of the operation of said-valve opening means.

3. In combination with a fluid delivery valve, a valve operating mechanism comprising manually controlled means for opening said valve, pressure responsive means for closing said valve, and means for rendering the manually controlled means inoperative.

4. In combination with the motive fluid delivery valve of the fluid withdrawing apparatus of a refrigerating device, manually controlled means for opening said valve, means responsive to the pressure within a condenser with which said apparatus communicates for closing said valve and means responsive topressure within the condenser for rendering the manually controlled means inoperative.

5.' In combination with the motive fluid delivery valve of the fluid withdrawing ap-. paratus for a refrigerating device, a manually controlled lever, means capable'of being actuated by the lever for opening said valve,

a trip mechanism for operatively connect-.

ing said lever to said means, and apressure actuated device, responsive to the pressure within a condenser with which said apparatus communicates for moving said trip mechanism to break the operative connection between said means and said lever.

6. In combination with the motive fluid delivery valve of the fluid withdrawing apparatus of a refrigerating device, a manually operated lever, a valve engaging finger, a trip mechanism for operatively locking said finger to said lever, and a pressure actuated device, responsive to the pressure within a condenser with which said apparatus communicates for actuating said trip mechanism to release said finger.

7. In combination with the motive fluid delivery valve of the fluid withdrawing apparatusofa refrigerating device, a manually operated lever, a valve engaging finger, a trip mechanism for operatively locking said finger to said lever, a pressure actuated device, responsive to the pressure within a condenser with which said apparatus communicates for actuating said trip mechanism to release said finger, and means operatively connected to said finger for engaging said pressure actuated device and for holding said'valve in an open position.

8. In combination with a valve, a manually controlled lever, a valve engaging finger capable of being actuated by said lever, to open said valve, a trip mechanism for operatively connecting said finger to said lever, a pressure controlled device for controlling the operation of said means and a latch operatively connected to said finger for engaging said device and holding said valve open until said device is actuated by a change in its actuating pressure to release said trip mechanlsm.

9. In combination with the motive fluid delivery valve of the fluid withdrawing apparatus of a refrigerating device, a manually operated finger for opening said valve, a sprin for closing said valve, and a device responsive to the pressure within a condenser communicating with said apparatus for holding said finger in a valve opening position when a vacuum is established and for releasing said finger when the condenser drops its vacuum, and means responsive in operation to the pressure within the condenser for rendering said manually controlled means incapable of opening the valve when the pressure within the condenser rises above a determined pressure.

10. In combination, a receptacle, a valve for controlling the delivery of fluid to the receptacle, a valv operating mechanism comprising means for opening said valve, pressure responsive means for closing said valve, and pressure actuated means respon- GOTTDANK L. E. KOTHNY.

Witnesses:

C. W. MOG'HEE, E. W. MGCALLISTER. 

